Supporting the industry’s demand, the TDP on Tuesday urged the Centre to give statutory backing to the special package announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, to enable the State overcome bifurcation blues and forge ahead in development.
The Special Category Status (SCS) accorded earlier to 11 States as per the Gadgil formula had become obsolete in the changed situation with the NITI Aayog replacing the Planning Commission, the 14th Finance Commission evolving a more liberalised scheme of devolution of finances from the Centre to the States and the GST(Goods and Services tax) regime coming into vogue, TDP official spokesman Jupudi Prabhakar Rao observed at a press conference here.
The package evolved after a series of consultations between the State and the Centre for five years till 2020 would best serve the interests of the State, he maintained, adding that 100 per cent central funding for Polavaram project, the lifeline of ‘Navya Andhra’, would ensure completion of the first phase of the project by the State by 2018 as envisaged.
The State would stand to gain with the Centre coming forward to provide central funding for externally-aided projects, special assistance, and tax concessions, he explained. He accused the Congress of shedding crocodile tears by insisting on SCS now after doing grave injustice to the State by its unscientific bifurcation.
Instead of offering constructive suggestions, YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was working against the State’s interests by creating hurdles for developmental projects and construction of the capital, he charged.
